DISCONTINUED - The Original Version of 12 Days of Sketmas
by Lex Complex
Summary: THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, DISCONTINUED STORY. FOR THE REVISED ONE, KINDLY LOOK UP "The Twelve Days of SKETmas" ON MY PROFILE.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** A little technical problem is keeping me from uploading the next chapter for my other story, so I wrote this on another PC while I try to get my laptop fixed.

I need to thank the awesome **Random-Pixie123** (read her works if you haven't yet) and her story "What a Boyfriend Should Do" for giving me an idea on how to do the First Day. I hope she doesn't mind that I based a paragraph on it.

My SKET Dance story no. 3. This ended up having more BossuHime hints than I originally planned, so much so that I even considered changing the title to "12 Days of BossuHime". I hope you like it.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own SKET Dance. I don't own Bleach or Rurouni Kenshin, either.

* * *

Outside the Sket Dan's clubroom, a note was taped to the door, and it read:

We won't be here for the next twelve days, so please take your requests to the Pocket Dan. During this time, we'll be visiting the children's nursing home Hidamari Garden every day as part of Yabasawa-san's request, which we've dubbed "Operation: Twelve Days of Sketmas". (Who came up with that lame name?!) (Himeko, don't tsukkomi on our announcement, and don't call my idea lame!) (LOL)

PS: We're accepting donations for the children. Leave them in the large box inside our clubroom. (We're just gonna leave the clubroom unlocked?) (Himeko!) (LOL)

* * *

**On the first day of Sketmas, the Sket Dan had received: Tsubaki's "Love and Honesty".**

Let it never be said just how much Bossun disliked his twin brother's sense of aesthetics. He sat on their couch at home, feeling somewhat happy that Tsubaki was their first donor, but at the same time greatly annoyed because the "damn eyelash freak" didn't consider just how wrong his donation was. The shirt was several sizes too big for any child, and the gaudy kanji for _love_ and _honesty_ emblazoned on the middle weren't particularly appealing to any age group. At a lost, Bossun put on his goggles and hoped his enhanced concentration would tell him what to do.

When he stirred Himeko from her sleep with a phone call fifteen minutes after eleven o'clock, she was understandably peeved. When she found out it was him, she was plain hopping mad. But when Bossun told her how the kids would love her delicious cooking, her face became more flustered, and it was no longer because of anger. She turned an even deeper shade of red when he told her they'd go shopping for ingredients together. But when he mentioned Switch was coming along, she suddenly hung up, and for some reason, Bossun got the feeling Himeko was going to need a new phone the next day.

A knock came on Bossun's door, followed by his mother's voice. "Yusuke, are you still awake? I'm done sewing."

Bossun popped his head outside the door, and Akane unfurled the white fabric in her hands. When her son had come into her room with a T-shirt she recognized as Tsubaki's handiwork, she had no idea what he wanted her to do. When Yusuke told her to turn the shirt into an apron, she still didn't know what her son was up to. And when her son was grinning at the finished product, mumbling something about how Himeko would look while wearing it, she just decided her son was growing up too fast for her to keep up.

"Thanks, Mom! You're the best!"

Bossun snatched the apron from her hands and closed the door, leaving Akane half-dazed and half-smiling, trying to recall the last time her son called her the best.

* * *

**On the second day of Sketmas, the Sket Dan had received: Two bamboo swords and a pack of Friske Fruity.**

When Himeko came to check on the donations, she found Bossun and Switch sword fighting. On any other day, she would have sat back and enjoyed the spectacle, but she realized they were playing with Shinzou and Shinpei's donations, so she graciously showed them some true swordsmanship.

"Stop fooling around, you idiots!" she snapped. "What the heck are we going to do with these? We can't let kids play with bamboo swords!"

Bossun groaned, rubbing at the small lump on his head. "Of course we're not letting them play with those. Switch was thinking we do a parody skit or something. Maybe Rurouni Kenshin or Bleach. Anything with swords. Otakura's a cosplayer, so we can borrow the clothes from him."

"Bleach is more modern, so I think it's a better pick for a younger audience. Himeko could be Rukia, Bossun will be Ichigo, and I'll—" Switch was cut-off mid-sentence when Himeko grabbed him by the shoulder' and started vigorously shaking him.

"Aren't Ichigo and Rukia…?" She was turning red and the otaku knew why.

Switch cocked an eyebrow. He knew Himeko only had the slightest knowledge about shounen anime like Bleach, but he couldn't resist the urge to tease her. "You ship IchiRuki?"

That comment only served to incite a more vicious shaking. "IchiRuki? What the heck's an IchiRuki? Don't use your otaku slang on me!" She was clearly masking her embarrassment with violence, which Switch found both amusing and painful.

"Hey, we're not here to discuss Bleach pairings!" Bossun interrupted. "Let's just do a remake of the first episode. Switch, you be the Hollow. Download some Hollow sounds or whatever."

"Roger!" Switch said with a salute.

"Himeko, drop by my house tonight. I got every season of Bleach on DVD. We can rehearse before we go there tomorrow. Now, c'mon. We still need to buy ingredients." Bossun was already out the door before Switch and Himeko could stand up.

On their way to the local grocer's, Himeko's brain was going haywire with thoughts like: Did he just ask me to come to his house? At night? At his house? Watching a video? At his house? Just me and him? At his house?

She had visited a number of times before, but she had never gone alone. And after the Osaka incident (where she completely discarded reason and hugged him), she often found herself acting unnecessarily self-conscious. Somehow, she knew that when she gets to his house later that night, she was going to drag Rumi out of her room so they can watch the first episode together. All three of them. Not just Bossun and her.

* * *

**On the third day of Sketmas, the Sket Dan had received: Three G-pens, two paper reams, and the latest Jump magazine.**

If they had to be honest, all three of them were somewhat disappointed that Roman's donation turned out so normal. They were expecting a manga with an outrageous storyline, the kind that would've surely made the children laugh, but she seemed to be busy trying to get serialized, so the Sket-dan couldn't really blame her.

Bossun's concentration mode gave birth to another great idea. He took two sheets of paper, folded them into an origami flower, and handed it to Himeko, who blushed at the gesture even when she didn't mean to. Seeing this, Bossun started blushing as well. Switch coughed a little electronic cough to snap them out of it.

"Y-Yeah, here, hold this for me, Himeko."

"S-Sure. And your origami's realistic as always, Bossun."

"T-Thanks."

They kept stuttering till their flushed faces regained their usual coloring. Bossun had affixed a small paper card onto the flower, with the words "To: Hime-chan" written in the best penmanship he could manage. Himeko knew it was for the girl in the orphanage named Hime-chan, but she still couldn't stop her mind from going to _that_ conclusion. And though she knew Bossun would never call her Hime-chan in any lifetime, she still found herself imagining what he would sound like if he ever did.

Switch tried to keep Bossun's attention away from Himeko, who had her eyes closed and was clearly somewhere far away, left to the devices of her imagination. "Are you planning to make origami and a card for all the kids, Bossun?"

Bossun kept his eyes fixed on his work as he answered. "Yeah. While I fold these, you make the cards, and Himeko, write 'Merry Christmas from the Sket-dan' on them."

Switch considered the possibility of ending up doing both jobs, seeing as Himeko looked like she didn't plan on returning to their world anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Since I was too busy to reply properly, I'll take this time to thank the awesome twosome **risingdaydreamer **and **Takagi Akito **for their reviews. Keep rocking, you two. XD

Let's look at BossuHime through Switch's four eyes this time, and maybe look at Switch's life a little while we're at it. Daisy and Momoka cameo in this chapter. Cheesiness coming your way.

* * *

**On the fourth day of Sketmas, the Sket Dan had received: Four Spectre dolls, three Bogeys, two Phantom ones, and a Pomeranian plushie?**

During the first three days of their Sketmas project, Switch had noticed small hints of progress in Bossun and Himeko's relationship. Those little things only someone who always walked a few feet behind them would notice. Things like how Himeko never failed to walk right beside Bossun, her hand millimeters away from his, making small talk so he doesn't notice the moments when their skin would brush each other's. Despite her poker face, the otaku knew she felt a little jolt of excitement course through her veins each time they did. Things like how Bossun started walking her home after their visits, using the flimsy excuse that they would pass Himeko's house before his, even though everyone knew he could take a much shorter path if he really wanted to. But the thing is he didn't want to, and the thing is Himeko obviously wanted him to not want to. No matter how little those things were, they were proof that Bossun and Himeko were, in fact, making progress.

So, what was the best thing to do when your two best friends were falling for each other but didn't realize it? Give them space and see where they take it, lending an occasional helping hand or a gentle push in the right direction if they ever need it. That was exactly what Switch set out to do, and the hardest part would probably be convincing himself he wouldn't lose them. No, he wouldn't because he had already lost two important people in his life, and he wouldn't stand to lose two more. The worst that could happen would be spending a lot less time with them, but he figured it was a price worth paying to see them happy. After all, if Bossun and Himeko were happy, he was happy, no matter how much it didn't show on his stoic face. And he was sure they were happy together at that moment, spending quality time with the kids from the orphanage, possibly even acting like their mother and father. He knew how Himeko could be when it came to kids, and Bossun was an all-around lovable person despite his… being an idiot and all.

He was sitting alone in their clubroom, looking up the schedule and venue for Momoka's next gig on her blog, when said seiyuu-slash-actress-slash-singer's voice came blaring from his phone, asking "You wanna see the earth from deep beneath the ground?" He made a mental note to replace his ringtone with one of her sweeter quotes.

"Yo, Switch!" Bossun's carefree voice was like cold water, a wake-up call telling him being so serious was stupid. "Where are you? There's still two hours before Himeko and me go home. You sure you can't catch up? The kids miss your robot voice." He could hear the children's laughter in the background mixing in with Bossun's own amused chuckle. "Well, you can't talk over the phone, so I'm hanging up now. Send me a text message or something, 'kay?"

Bossun hanged up, and the faintest of smiles played across Switch's lips. It was heartwarming knowing they were still thinking about him. He began typing out an e-mail.

_TO: Bossun_

_SUBJECT: Sorry-o, Daddy-o_

_MESSAGE_

_I'M HAVING THE MOST STIMULATING CONVERSATION WITH OTAKURA ABOUT MATERNITY BLUE'S WAISTLINE, SO I CAN'T MAKE IT. SAY HI TO THE KIDS FOR ME. TELL THEM THE ROBOT MAN SAYS "BEEP BEEP BOO BOP BEEP SHAKE SHAKE!" \(^o^)/ AND WALK HIMEKO HOME, K? K THNX TTYL._

He clicked "Send" and felt a huge weight come off his shoulder. Lying wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do, but it was easier and far less likely to be misunderstood than telling them "You two looked like you really wanted some time alone earlier." With the way they kept casting sidelong glances at each other when they checked that day's donations, nobody could fault him for choosing to make a not-so-graceful exit.

The door was flung open and a seething voice hissed from behind him. "Drown in a gutter and die, you thieving otaku!"

_Right on cue,_ Switch thought. He turned around and shot a bored expression at the newly arrived Asahina Kikuno. "Good afternoon to you, too, lady with the poison tongue. I see you received my message," he said dryly, which wasn't hard considering he spoke in monotone half the time.

"Spare me the pleasantries and the explanation as to how you got my number, Mr. Creepy McCreep-Creep. What have you done to my Meimei?"

Switch thought he could try to act cool and provoke Daisy some more. He made his electronic voice an octave deeper. "If you ever want to see Meimei again, you'll—"

He never got to finish his straight-from-the-movies banter. Daisy's index and middle fingers went for his eyes, which were lucky enough to have a shield in the form of his glasses. However, the sheer force of her attack was enough to send him toppling off his seat and crashing to the floor. Switch raised an arm in defeat and pointed to the tatami, where Daisy's pink Pomeranian plushie sat waiting for its owner.

"Meimei!" Daisy exclaimed, dashing toward her dog and cradling it in her arms. She gave him a look of pure murderous intent, and she probably meant it.

Not sure if his glasses could stand another attack, he got up and went on to explain the situation. "Onee-san must have mixed Meimei up with another doll when she dropped off the donations. Did you get anything weird?"

"I found this near my bag, right where I left Meimei when I went to the ladies' room." She brought out a Phantom doll from her bag and placed it beside his laptop.

"I knew there was a mix-up. We'll take this doll with us when we visit the kids tomorrow. It's been nice doing business with you, Poison Tongue."

Switch was still trying to play the role of an underground dealer in a gangster movie, but Daisy would have none of it. She made for the door and slid it open. She stopped halfway through leaving to give Switch a dubious look.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not used to seeing you by yourself."

"You're not used to seeing me at all."

Daisy smiled a little, as if to say "Touché", before stepping out and closing the door behind her. Inside, Switch heaved a small sigh. Just as he thought, it was hard to have fun without Bossun and Himeko around. He made it a point to be extra annoying the next day.

* * *

**On the fifth day of Sketmas, the Sket Dan had received: Five child-sized gi, four shuriken, three smoke bombs, two sharp kunai, and a "Ninja Legends" CD.**

It was obvious in the way Bossun got terribly fidgety whenever Himeko mentioned Katou. He would make that goofy face, turn red, and find all sorts of ways to squeeze a ninja reference into their conversation. Himeko knew this, of course, but she was evidently enjoying Bossun's jealousy and was probably saying the ninja's name on purpose.

"I'm going to take these dangerous weapons back to Katou now, and I'll probably smack some sense into him while I'm there," she casually announced, placing a clear emphasis on Katou's name.

Bossun wore a straight face, but he wasn't fooling anyone. "Yeah, run along to your ninja boyfriend and carve your names on a tree with those kunai."

"Great idea. Maybe we'll do that," Himeko teased. She was obviously enjoying herself, giggling as she left the two boys.

It was even more obvious in the way Bossun couldn't hold himself back and rushed after her a few minutes later. Switch figured their leader would probably spy on them like the last time, so his plan to be extra annoying would have to wait. He wanted to try understanding what the two were feeling, understand what they were going through so he knew how he could help them, but he couldn't relate because he couldn't fall in love anymore. Not after what happened the last time.

"_I loved you."_

The past tense he had used in his confession to Sawa sealed the deal. It marked the start of putting a lot of things behind him. First came romance—he'd never love again—then came his voice—he'd never lose someone because of it again—and then finally, his identity—he'd never be the old Kazuyoshi again. But for everything he lost, he gained a lot more, and Switch would always be thankful to the people who helped him through those tough times. Always.

He was looking out the window, musing about these things, when Momoka popped her head through, screaming "Nee-san! Nee-san! I have—oh Switch." She froze.

"Himeko and Bossun went to the Student Council's office. They should be back any minute now."

It was hard for her to make eye contact, but she steeled herself and fixed her gaze on him. "C-Can I… wait for them with you?"

"Sure. Come in."

"No, I'm fine out here."

The silence that followed was unsettling, mostly for Momoka, who didn't know how to handle herself around him, especially after what happened between them during Valentine's Day. The room was filled with the sound of Switch typing away in his keyboard, and then by Momoka's phone going off as it received an e-mail.

_FROM: Switch_

_SUBJECT: I feel like mailing the person in the same room as me (LOL)_

_MESSAGE:_

_Wanna come with us? We're going to visit some orphans. Momo-tan's sure to make them smile. RSVP. :p_

Momoka tried to hide the blush spreading across her face and the smile spreading across her lips, but when it became obvious there was no hiding them, she went ahead and let her face answer for her. Switch remained expressionless, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he was thinking maybe he didn't need to fall in love to understand what Bossun and Himeko were going through. Just maybe.


End file.
